Public Sector Education Training Authority Government Information Technology Officer Council: briefing

Meeting report

PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
11 October 2000
PUBLIC SECTOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY; GOVERNMENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER COUNCIL: BRIEFING

Documents Handed Out
HRD In The Public Service - The PSETA (See Appendix 1)

SUMMARY
The Public Sector Education and Training Authority was registered with the Department of Labour in March 2000 in accordance with the Skills Development Act. Training of the Skills Development facilitators runs in October and November 2000. This will include representatives from all departments. Training of these facilitators will enable departments to develop their own Workplace Skills Plan, which will reflect strategies, departmental training and development needs as well as provincial specifics. The Sector Skills Plan, which reflects the education and development priorities of the Public Service was submitted to the Department of Labour on 1 September 2000. Departments will hold workshops in all provincial and national departments to market the Sector Skills Plan and to ensure ownership of the Plan. The Public Sector Education and Training Authority will provide strategic leadership to the overall public service Human Resource Development strategy through developing guidelines on Transversal Training and Education.

The committee was also briefed on the Government Information Technology Officer Council which is newly formed.

MINUTES
The meeting started 25 minutes late and the chairperson stressed that meetings should start on schedule in the future.

Human Resource Development in the Public Service: Public Sector Education and Training Authority
Ms Modise of the Department stated that the Public Sector Education and Training Authority was registered with the Department of Labour on 20 March 2000 in line with the Skills Development Act. Both the Board and the Executive Committee are in place. She stated that standing committees on Learnership, Sector Skills Plan, Education and Training Quality Assurance, Communication, Marketing and Finance are up and running. A letter of intent to register as an Education And Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) body has been submitted to South African Qualifications Authority. The ETQA Business Plan as a prerequisite for accreditation is due February 2001. Training of the Skills Development facilitators is scheduled to commence on 16 October until end November 2000. This will include representatives from all departments. Training of these facilitators will enable departments to develop their own Workplace Skills Plan, which will reflect strategies, departmental training and development needs as well as provincial specifics. All these are to be integrated into the final draft of the Sector Skills Plan.

The Public Service Sector Skills Plan (Draft)
The draft Sector Skills Plan, which reflects the education and development priorities of the Public Service, was developed and submitted to the Department of Labour on 1 September 2000. Departments will hold road shows and workshops in all provinces and National Departments to familiarise and market the Sector Skills Plan to ensure the ownership of it by public servants.

Seta Finances
In compliance with good financial practice each Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) must establish a bank account with separate sub-accounts from which the amounts for the administration of the SETA activities and grant disbursements and investment amounts will be both lodged and withdrawn. The Public Sector Education and Training Authority has opened an account.

Grant Disbursement to Employers by a SETA or a Chamber
In accordance with the Skills Levies Act, employers may access a percentage of the levy payment by way of the grants set out in Regulation 8. A SETA may allocate grants to all employers under their jurisdiction who have paid the levy.

Grant Recovery by Employers
An employer seeking recovery of a grant against the levy payment must meet the eligibility criteria for grant recovery

PSETA Scope of Coverage
The PSETA's scope of coverage includes national departments; provincial administrations and parastatals. PSETA will qualify Assure Transversal Training and Education across state departments.

Human Resource Development Strategy in the Public Service
Ms Modise noted that one of the milestones for October 2000 was the Human Resource Development Strategy.

One of the central Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) concerns is the development of human resources. Within the Public Service this has been addressed through a number of policies and laws, which include the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Service. The main strategic objective of these policies is training and education, which contributes towards creating a workforce that is skilled and competent to perform in a changing public service, geared to improved service delivery.

The PSETA has undertaken to promote the HRD strategy for the public service through the development and implementation of the Sector Skills Plan. The PSETA will provide strategic leadership to the overall public service HRD strategy. It will do this through developing guidelines on Transversal Training and Education.

Discussion
Mr Sithole(ANC) asked for the linkages between the training instruments, PSETA and SAMDI. His concern was that the training at managerial level should not be in contradiction with training at the lower levels.

Ms Modise stated that there was a definite link between PSETA and SAMDI (the management development body). PSETA is not a freestanding body.

Adv Madasa (ACDP) was concerned about the funding for training and asked if the employees would cover the payment for training. If not, then the problem was securing the employees after they had been trained and not losing them to the private sector.

Ms Modise answered that the employer would pump money into service training to cover the costs of the training. There was nothing that could be done to retain the people who had been trained but they would have to work as a reimbursement for the investment made in them. This way the departments could get back what had been given to the employees in terms of training investment.

Mr Mohlala asked whether the grant would be given before or after the appointment of the Skills Development Facilitator.

Ms Modise replied that the needs of the department would have to be taken into consideration before the appointment of a Skills Development Facilitator. This would influence the appointment of the SDF and was stipulated in the Act.

Ms September (ANC) congratulated the department on their efforts and enquired where the budget would come from to provide this training since the government could decide in the future that there is no more money for this fund and that would halt the process. She stated that she was happy that students would be included in the process as it would provide them with practical training and give them a chance to redirect their skills.

Ms Maloney (ANC) stated that she does not have a problem with the trained expertise leaving the public sector as long as it remained elsewhere in the country. She enquired whether the training for students would be regarded as a form of experience. She also congratulated the department.

Mr Sithole (ANC) wanted clarification on where the DPSA training would be located, i.e. whether it would be within South Africa or within the Department.

Advocate Madasa (ACDP) wanted to know whether the Skills Development Facilitator would be appointed from within the department or externally.

Due to time constraints Ms Modise answered these questions together:
- With regard to student interns, this would begin around January and will be located within the DPSA. She stated that the practicals would be linked to training and that the programmes offered at technicons were specific. She added that not everyone will be employed and the employment ratio would have to be in accordance with the needs of the Department. She stated also that the training was not a prerequisite for future employment within the public service.
- She was adamant that the training was provided for employees of the DPSA and not the larger country since the department was not a development group.
- The Skills Development Facilitator would be from within the department.

Government Information Technology Officer Council
Mr Phetole Ramatapa of DPSA spoke on this issue:
Problems highlighted in the 1998 Presidential Review Commission Report
- There was a lack of clear roles.
- The Departments do not taking responsibility for IT is linked to this.
- There was also a lack of co-ordination and incomparable systems also posed a problem.
- IT is not business driven and
- There is failure to leverage economies of scale.

Roles of Government Information Technology Officer
- Act as a conduit between department and province and State Information Technology Agency (SITA)
- Represent the government department/province in the council
- Facilitate the implementation of the strategies contained in the provincial /departmental strategic plan
- Become a major role player in the development of IT policies of the government
- Assist in the writing and implementing of SLA and BA between SITA and the department or province
- Foster the reality of an e-government

Skills Required
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage resources
- Understand underlying principles of transformation and reform
- Team builder and an articulate individual who can clearly advocate the IT vision and mission of the department and or province
- Knowledge and understanding of e-governance

Report on GITO Council Meeting
The council met in Pretoria on the 6 & 7th of October 2000. The Council Charter, IT projects and IT Policy was discussed. The next meeting is scheduled for 25 October 2000.

Discussion
The Chair asked for clarification on the relation between SITA and GITO Council. He wondered what constitutes it and how it differs from the functions of SITA.

Mr Sikakane (ANC) wondered what powers Government Information Technology Officers have if the departments refused to comply.

Advocate Madasa (ACDP) stated with, all due respect to the chairperson, that the committee should decide the efficacy and status of GITO and then call the Department in for discussion.

Mr Mohlahla suggested that the meeting be adjourned and that nothing be implemented until the working copy of the documents compiled during the IT policy seminar on the 23 and 24 October 2000 be forwarded to them.

The Chair adjourned the meeting since the meeting had run 20 minutes over the stipulated time.

Appendix 1
HRD IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
THE PSETA
· The PSETA was registered with Department of Labour on 20 March 2000 in line with the Skills Development Act.
· Both the Board and Executive Committee are in place.
· Standing Committees on; Learnership, Sector Skills Plan; Education and Training Quality Assurance; Communication, Marketing and Finance are in place, and up and running.

THE PSETA
· Letter of intent to register as an Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) Body has been submitted to SAQA. ETQA Business Plan, as a prerequisite for accreditation as an ETQA is due February 2001.
· Training of the Skills Development Facilitators is scheduled to commence on 16 October until end November 2000. (Reps from all Depts and Provinces)
· Training of SDF will enable departments to develop own Workplace Skills Plan, reflecting strategic departmental training and developmental needs as well as provincial specifics. All these are to be integrated into the final draft of the Sector Skills Plan.

PUBLIC SECTOR SKILLS PLAN DRAFT
· Sector Skills Plan which reflects the education and development priorities of the Public Service was developed and further consultation will follow.
· Road-shows and Workshops will be held in all Provinces and National Departments to familiarise and market the Sector Skills Plan and ensure ownership of the Sector Skills Plan by departments.

SETA FINANCES
· In compliance with good financial practice, each SETA must establish a bank account with separate sub-accounts from which -
the amounts for the administration of the SETA activities;
grant disbursements; and
investments amounts, will be both lodged and withdrawn.
· PSETA has opened an Account
Grant disbursement to employers by a SETA or a chamber
1.Employers may access a percentage of the levy payment by way of the grants set out in regulation 8.
2.A SETA may allocate grants to all employers under their jurisdiction who have paid the levy.

GRANT RECOVERY BY EMPLOYERS
1.An employer seeking recovery of a grant against the levy payment must meet the eligibility criteria for grant recovery.

100% OF 0,5% PAYROLL TO SARS
Editor's Note - Graphs not included

GRANT DISBURSEMENT TO EMPLOYERS
CRITERIA
A. Appointing the SDF
B. Preparing and submitting WSP
C. Implementing WSP
D. Specific Skills initiatives in sectors
Editor's Note - Graphs not included

PSETA SCOPE OF COVERAGE
· According to Government Gazette No. 210121, the PSETA's scope of coverage includes National Departments; Provincial Administrations and Parastatals.
· PSETA will Qualify Assure Transversal Training and Education across state departments.

IN CONCLUSION IT MUST BE HIGHLIGHTED THAT:
· All states departments are exempted from contributing financially to their SETAs and although there are moves to encourage departments to pay at least 30% of 0,5% this year and 1% next year, this payments are not via South Africa Revenue Service. They are currently being deposited into the PSETA bank account by member departments.
· PSETA is the only SETA that does not disburse grants to member departments (grants are mainly viewed as incentives for implementation) However, we need to find ways of ensuring that state departments do in deed implement the Skills Development Act as expected and to ensure that the remaining 70% of the 0,5% is used specifically by departments for skills development matters.

HRD STRATEGY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.
· One of the central programmes of the RDP is the development of human resources. Within the Public Service this has been elaborated through a number of policies and laws which include the White Paper on the transformation of the Public Service, White Paper on the Public Service Training and Education,etc.
· The main strategic objective of these policies is training and education which contributes towards creating a workforce that is skilled and competent to perform in a changing public service geared at improved quality service delivery.
· Both the White Paper on the Public Service Training and Education and the Public Service Regulations envisage a new system of public service training and education that:
· Support work performance and career development for all public servants;
· demand-driven, needs based, competency based and strategically linked to broader
processes of transformation,institution building and human resource development within the public service;
· Strategically link to the NQF and SAQA frameworks,as well as to the Department of Labour's proposals for a new Skills Development Strategy,etc.
· However, the Skills Development Act, the Skills Development Levies Act and the SAQA Act present us with a concrete and practical strategy within which the training and education framework, as reflected in the afore-mentioned laws ought to be implemented in the public service in the form of the PSETA.
· The PSETA has undertaken to promote the HRD strategy for the public service through the development and implementation of the Sector Skills Plan.
· The PSETA will provide strategic leadership to the overall public service HRD strategy through developing guidelines on Transversal Training and Education
(national training priorities) which will be forwarded to all state departments to be integrated into their overall workplace skills plans.
· Departmental Workplace skill plans will then be translated into Learnership programmes which will lead into qualifications within NQF .